1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel norbornane or norbornene derivative expressed by the following formula (I): ##STR2## wherein the bond shown by the dotted line is present or absent and n is 0 or 1.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural sandalwood oil is obtained by the steam distillation of the heartwood and roots of sandalwood occurring in India and Malasia, and is an important ingredient of mixed perfumes of an Oriental note. Sandalwood is a special plant which lives upon the roots of other trees by stretching long suckers from its roots. It is cultivated from seeds, and a period of as long as 30 years is required until sandalwood oil can be extracted from it. Accordingly, resources have become scarce in India which is a main country producing sandalwood oil, and the supply of sandalwood oil has become short in recent years. This has caused an increase in the cost of sandalwood oil. The principal ingredient of natural sandalwood oil is a mixture of .alpha.-santalol and .beta.-santalol (hereinafter .alpha.,.beta.-santalol) of the structures ##STR3## and the commercial production of .alpha.,.beta.-santalol has not been successfully achieved. Naturally, development of a synthetic perfume having an odor similar to .alpha.,.beta.-santalol has been desired, and several products which are similar in odor to but quite distinct in structure from sandalwood oil have been offered on the market. However, none of them meet the needs of the consumers from the standpoint of cost and odor.